


Roadtrip to Nowhere

by orphan_account



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, M/M, Older Hiccup
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-01-18 01:26:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1409893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hiccup have had enough of Berk and everyone in it. So he packed his stuff, got in his car and drove away, no destination in mind. But what was a road trip to nowhere if you didn't pick up a strange hitchhiker along the way?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote the first chapter of this long ago kind of on a whim and posted it on tumblr. It was supposed to be a quick one shot, but some wanted me to continue, so I did.

Hiccup threw his backpack into the trunk, slammed it shut and got in the car. He drove away from his father’s house and out of town, not even slowing down to reconsider. He wanted to leave this place where he had never been able to fit in. He didn’t have a destination in mind. He didn’t care where he might end up. He just wanted to start his life over. For now, he would just drive.

When he hit the highway, he turned up the music and rolled down the windows. This, he decided, was what freedom felt like. He had no one to answer to and enough money set aside to drive around, sleeping in cheap motels and eating at diners, for quite awhile. He didn’t need to worry about the future yet.

He stopped for lunch when he was hungry, ate a burger with a watery coffee, and hit the road again. The more distance he put between himself and Berk before stopping for the night, the better.

After another hour a driving on the rather deserted highway, he saw a figure in a blue sweater with the hood pulled up walking by the road, dragging a backpack behind him. When he heard Hiccup’s car, he turned and hastily raised a thumb. Hiccup slowed down and stopped next to him. What was a road trip to nowhere if you didn’t pick up a strange hitchhiker along the way? The other young man sent him a grateful smile and hurried to open the car’s door.

"Thanks, man, I’ve been walking all day."

"You can throw your pack on the back seat."

It took some effort, but the stranger managed to squeeze the overfilled backpack between the two front seats and shove it behind them. He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes and sighed in contentment.

"Do you mind if I kick off my shoes?"

"Knock yourself out. My name’s Hiccup, by the way."

"Jack."

"Where are you going?"

"I don’t know. Wherever."

"Good. Let’s go wherever together."


	2. A New Companion

"So… are you going to pull down that hood?"

 

His new travelling companion did the exact opposite of that. He sank into his seat and tugged on the edge of his hood almost defensively.

 

"Oh, uh…"

 

"I mean, you don’t have to, but what’s the point? You’re already in the car. I’m not gonna throw you out just because you have white hair. It’s not like I can’t see it, anyway."

 

Jack blinked at him, still holding on to his hood, and gave him a sheepish smile. He pulled it back and ruffled his flattened hair without looking at him. Hiccup kept his eyes on the road. He didn’t want to stare, but he still threw some quick glances. He wondered how hard it was to dye your hair so white. Seeing how pale the man was, maybe there was something else going on. Maybe it was natural.

 

"Sorry, it’s just… everyone’s kind of weary about picking up hitchhikers, so nevermind a white-haired freak."

 

"But what’s the fun of picking up a hitchhiker if they’re not a little weird? I mean, not saying you’re weird. Or freaky. Just saying, uh, you know…"

 

Hiccup knew he was babbling. This could turn into a pretty awkward trip if he managed to offend Jack during the first hour of it. Thankfully, he just laughed it off.

 

"I get you, you can calm down."

 

"Right. Sorry."

 

Jack slumped a little more on his seat and pulled his legs against his chest so he could massage his bare feet with his hands.

 

"Sooo… if I got this right, you’re not actually going anywhere in particular?" Jack asked.

 

"Nope. Just gonna drive until sunset, then stop in the nearest town to look for dinner and a cheap place to sleep. If you want me to drop you somewhere along the way, just say so."

 

"No. No, that’s perfect."

 

They chatted about nothing in particular for a while, both avoiding the subject of why they were on the road with no destination in mind, but Hiccup did learn that Jack had been travelling for a little over a week, on foot most of the time. He fell asleep during a lull in the conversation, leaving Hiccup alone with his thoughts. 

 

For the first time since he left Berk, Hiccup found himself thinking about the future. Not the faraway future, like where he thought he would be in a a year, or even what he would do when he ran out of money and had to get a job. No, he thought of what would happen when he stopped for the night. Would Jack go his own way? For some reason, he didn’t want to say goodbye to the white-haired hitchhiker.

 

It was absurd, seeing as he left on this trip thinking he would be alone most of the time, meeting strange, interesting people along the way, but making no ties. That was his plan, for now. Yet he found that he didn’t like the idea of parting with Jack. Maybe it was because he was intrigued and wanted to know what his story was, or maybe he just felt they were alike.

 

He idly reimagined his trip, but this time with a companion at his side. Someone to talk to and laugh with during long days on the road. He was probably being an idiot. He barely knew the man.

 

Jack was still sleeping when he pulled the car into the parking lot of a pizzeria in the small town where he would be staying the night. Hiccup shook him awake regretfully. Jack woke in a panic. He swatted Hiccup’s arm, scrambled away as far as he could and looked around to get his bearings. 

 

"Hey, calm down. It’s just me. Hiccup. The guy who gave you a ride?"

 

"Sorry. I usually try not to fall asleep in strangers cars."

 

Hiccup had to wonder just how dangerous hitchhiking was. Jack looked out the window, still trying to figure out where they were.

 

"This is the charming town of Green…something. Greenfield. Probably. I asked around for a cheap place to eat and here we are! Jim’s Pizza. Hungry?"

 

"Uh, sure. Pizza sounds nice."

 

Jack grabbed his pack before leaving the car. Hiccup almost told him he could leave it in the car, but he reconsidered. He probably had everything he owned in there. It was a bit much to ask . Hiccup got out himself and followed Jack as he walked inside the pizzeria. The place wasn’t too full, mostly a few groups of teens hanging out, and they found a seat by the window. 

 

Hiccup fiddled with his menu nervously. He had done some thinking and he had an idea that could be good for both of them, but he couldn’t figure out a way to share it that didn’t sound awkward or really creepy. So he just stayed silent until the orders were taken care of and Jack spoke at last.

 

"Anchovies? Seriously?"

 

"What? they’re just fishes. Anyway, what right do you have to talk? You asked for  _fruits_ on yours.”

 

"Hey, pineapples are a perfectly acceptable pizza topping. It’s not like I asked for strawberries."

 

"Pineapples are only acceptable on Hawaiian pizza. But you asked for pineapples on your pepperoni and cheese pizza!"

 

"He said I could have one free topping!"

 

Hiccup rolled his eyes. Jack pouted. He sulked for about two seconds before laughing. Hiccup smiled. Why didn’t someone like Jack live in Berk? That would have been so much better. Which reminded him of what he meant to ask.

 

"So, uh, Jack… I asked about places to stay and there’s really only one motel in this small town. The guy I talked to said it has some pretty cheap rooms. They don’t have a lot of people coming here."

 

"Oh. Good. I guess I’ll stay there too. I’d rather not sleep on a park bench if I can afford a room," he said with a laugh.

 

Hiccup wondered how used he was to sleeping on park bench. He didn’t thinking of that. He sucked in his lower lip and fidgeted with his napkin as he tried to figure out the best way to say this.

 

"Sooo… I was thinking, since we’ll both be staying there and we might both want to save some money, maybe we could, uh, get a double room instead of two singles. With two beds of course. I mean, I totally get it if you don’t want to share a room with a stranger and I’m probably being creepy but I’d like to remind you that I didn’t molest you while you were sleeping in my car earlier and I’m not gonna do anyth–"

 

"Sounds good to me."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah, sure. I guess if you meant to murder me you would have done it earlier and if I can save some money, that’s awesome."

 

"Oh. Good."

 

Their food arrived to distract them and Hiccup sank back in his seat in relief. So at least he knew he and Jack weren’t parting ways quite yet. He wasn’t sure what would happen tomorrow when they left town, He didn’t dare ask Jack to continue with him right now. That would be pushing his luck. He could worry about that tomorrow. Jack wasn’t leaving yet and for now, that was enough.


	3. Fleeting Joy

The room was tiny, but Hiccup loved it. It was exactly the kind of room he had imagined staying in when he first started to dream about packing his stuff and leaving Berk. Expect with two bed. That part he hadn’t seen coming when he left his hometown. Jack poked his head in behind him.

"So, how’s the room?"

"It’s perfect."

 Jack laughed at his enthusiasm and followed him in. He immediately crossed the room to a door on the other side, opened it and peeked inside. 

"Mind if I take a shower? I really want a shower."

"Go ahead."

Jack disappeared into the bathroom, backpack and all. Hiccup dropped his own pack next to the bed closest to him with a smile and sat down. First day on the road and life was already looking up. He dug through his pack for a blank journal he had purchased before leaving. He wanted to keep a detailed account of his days, of where he went and who he met, how he felt about all of it. He opened it on the first page, grabbed a ballpoint pen and wrote at the top of the page “Day 1”. Hiccup pulled off his shoes and made himself comfortable.

He filled the page with ink, revisiting the trepidation he felt when he left the house, the freedom when he hit the road. He wrote about the simple pleasure of making his own choices with no one to question them. And, of course, he wrote about Jack. How they met, what they talked about, their argument on pizza topping, how he felt they were alike.

He was barely finished writing down his still confusing desire to continue his journey with Jack at his side when the man himself walked out of the bathroom in a white sleeveless shirt and blue boxers, his hair still damp, and collapsed somehow gracefully on his back on the hard mattress with a grin. He let his legs dangle off the edge and spread his arms on either side.

"This is fantastic. I’m lying on a bed and I’m not even too exhausted to enjoy it." He propped himself on one elbow and his tone turned serious. "Thanks for the ride. Seriously."

Hiccup’s cheeks heated. He busied himself with replacing the journal into his pack to hide how ridiculously pleased this made him. 

"It’s nothing. It’s not like it was any troubles."

"Still. Thanks."

"I think I’m gonna go take a shower too."

He dragged his own pack into the small bathroom and threw Jack one last glance. The white-haired man lifted his legs onto the bed to flop down on his stomach instead. He seemed content to just lie down and relax. Hiccup closed the bathroom’s door.

After a day spent sitting down in the same position, he could use some hot water to get his muscles to stop aching, but he wished they had a bath. But he had expected that most places he would stay in would only have a standing shower. He’d just have to deal with it.

He got rid of his clothes and walked into the shower with his soap and washcloth. It was tiny, but that was just as well. It would be harder to fall, even if there was nothing to hold on to. Hiccup sighed and lifted his left leg to unstrap the prosthesis replacing the lower part of it. He leaned it against the wall next to the shower’s door, where he could get it back easily once he was done. 

It turned out that the hardest part of showering was avoiding hitting his elbows constantly due to the lack of space. He managed to get cleaned up, put the prosthesis back on and get out without any major incident. He dried himself and dug through his pack for a clean pair of boxer and a shirt he could sleep in. He hesitated before walking out, though, and he had to fight the urge to get back into his jeans and socks. 

 _It’s too late to get all self-conscious. You’ll have to take it off to sleep anyway. You should have thought about this before asking him to share a room._  He had been too concerned with keeping Jack around to really consider this. In the end, it was the memory of Jack tugging on the edge of his hood to hide his white hair that convinced him to get out of the bathroom. 

Jack’s face was half-buried in his pillow and his eyes were closed when Hiccup walked back into the room, but he cracked one eye open at the sound. Hiccup tensed when Jack lifted his head and quickly looked him up and down, but the other man made no comment. Instead, he sat up and stretched. 

"So, that was your first day on the road?"

"First of many, hopefully."

"How did you like it?"

"My butt hurts, but it was fantastic."

Jack let out a choked laugh and bit down on his knuckle. His shoulders shook in silent laughter and Hiccup smiled as well until he realized what Jack was laughing at. He threw his pillow at him.

"Get your mind out of the gutter!"

Jack just laughed harder and hugged Hiccup’s pillow to his chest. Hiccup shook his head, but there was still a smile on his lips.

* * *

Hiccup woke up to the sun shining in his face. He rubbed his eyes, yawned, stretched. For one confused moment, he wasn’t sure where he was, but it came back to him quickly. He left Berk. He was free. But not quite on his own. He rolled around to see if Jack was still sleeping.

Jack wasn’t in his bed. Hiccup sat up. He couldn’t see his companion anywhere in their small room. The bathroom’s door was partly open but the light was off and no sounds came from there. Hiccup’s heartbeat increased.

"Jack?"

No answer. Hiccup cursed, strapped on his prosthesis and got out of bed. He looked on the other side of Jack’s bed on the off chance that he had fallen off in his sleep, but he didn’t see him there, nor in the bathroom. Jack’s backpack was nowhere to be found either. Hiccup sat down heavily on Jack’s bed. He was gone.

Hiccup let his head fall into his hands and he gripped his hair hard. The room had been booked in his name. He should have asked Jack to pay his half right away. He should have known better than to trust the first stranger he met after leaving his father’s house. He acted like a schoolgirl with a crush and now he would have to pay for a room for two, breakfasts included, on his own.

It wasn’t really the extra money he would have to spend that bothered him. He had trusted Jack, had liked him more than a little, and he had sneaked out like a thief before he woke up. That hurted. He remembered Jack laughing into his pillow with that spark in his eyes and his chest tightened. He had been a fool. He didn’t even know the man.

Hiccup sighed. He should get moving. He got dressed and brushed his teeth mechanically. He didn’t bother shaving. He heaved his backpack up on one shoulder and left the room. He walked down the stairs and turned left, entering the dining room without looking up. The smell of breakfast filled the room and he had no appetite. He might as well just leave now. 

"Hey, Hiccup!"

His heart stopped beating at the sound of Jack’s voice. He looked up and there he was, sitting at a table near a window and waving a piece of toast to get his attention. Relief overwhelmed him. His knees felt weak and he barely managed to wobble across the room before collapsing in a chair in front of Jack. He stared at the other man like he couldn’t quite believe he was really there.

"Are you alright there, Hiccup?"

"Yeah, it’s just, you know, the excitement of my second day on the road. That’s all."

Jack laughed that child-like little laugh Hiccup had thought he would never hear again.

"Better eat some breakfast. You’re looking a little weak."

"Just give me a moment." Hiccup took a few deep breath to calm. He leaned back into his chair and tried to act casual. "So… you’ve been up long?"

"Yeah, since I kind of slept a lot in the car already. I didn’t want to wake you up, so I came down here."

"Oh, good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m starving."

* * *

Hiccup left the motel half anxious, half eager. Jack followed silently, a step behind him. Hiccup’s car wasn’t far, just a bit to the side of the door, and he opened the trunk to throw his backpack inside. He turned back to face Jack. The white-haired man had stopped walking and shuffled in place on the sidewalk.

"So, uh…" Jack started.

"So… need a ride?"

Jack’s answering smile melted Hiccup’s heart a little.


	4. So What If I Am?

Second day on the road, and Hiccup was ten times more nervous than he had been the day before. Maybe it was because it was finally sinking in him that this was real, that he had left his home and was now travelling to without really going anywhere but ‘away’ like he dreamt of and his father could do nothing about it.

Or maybe it was that Jack had agreed to continue with him, putting a stop to his uncertainty about this and letting him picture the two of them becoming close friends as a thing that might actually happen. They would be spending a lot of time alone together, after all, and he might get to know Jack better than anyone before. Even his college girlfriend.

"I’m really digging that stubble."

 Hiccup rubbed his chin before returning his hand to the wheel. With Jack gone, or so he thought, he hadn’t bothered shaving. No one was going to be paying him any attention and he could be that scruffy stranger who walked into a diner before hitting the road again. Now he was feeling a little self-conscious and he didn’t even know why. What did it matter that Jack saw him not looking his best? They were travelling, not going on a date.

"I didn’t know I had to make myself all pretty for you," he joked to hide his discomfort.

"No, seriously, I’m jealous. I can’t grow a proper beard. I tried, once, when I first started hitchhiking, since I figured it would be less effort and I wouldn’t look as much like a runaway kid—and I swear I’m an adult—but I only ended up with a patchy, wispy thing. It looked ridiculous. So I have to keep shaving. At least I don’t need to do it everyday."

Hiccup snorted. He tried to imagine Jack with any kind of beard, but that just made him burst out laughing. Jack made a show of being offended, but he was soon laughing along with him.

"At least now I know for sure you’re an adult. Thank you for confirming that. I was worried the police might be looking for you and I would get accused of kidnapping you." He said it lightheartedly, but he had been genuinely concerned about that. Sometime Jack looked really young. "Wait a moment…"

"What?"

"You said you've been on the road for a week. You had time to give up on growing a beard in that time?"

"Oh, no. I’ve been travelling on and off for a year. I stop when I’m low on money and have to get a job for awhile. I stay in place long enough to save up some more money, buy some new clothes, and eat some vegetables, then I leave again. I’ve been back on the road for a week."

Hiccup’s admiration for Jack increased at that. As did his curiosity. He had not really thought about how long his own trip would be, but he expected to settle down at some point and start a new life. Or maybe even go back to Berk as an experienced, well-travelled man and hope his father, and everyone else, would understand that he could handle himself. That he wasn’t a helpless little boy who couldn’t even go out without losing a limb.

He wondered if Jack had any intention of settling down. He wondered why he left in the first place. He could only hope that one day, he would trust him enough to tell him. That he could swap tales with someone who would understand. Hiccup realized he needed that, needed to tell his own tale. Maybe that was why he was so desperate about hanging on to Jack. Because he felt he would understand, whatever his own story was.

* * *

Hiccup had to stop for gas midway through the morning. Jack shoved his feet back into his shoes without bothering with the socks he had also taken off and got out with him. 

"I’m going in to buy some stuff. I’m so getting a box of cookies, since I won’t have to carry it around."

Hiccup watched him go with a smile. He was pretty pleased with himself for being able to offer Jack comfort he didn’t usually get. He filled up and joined him inside to pay, just as Jack was grabbing his plastic bag from the counter. Hiccup picked up a pack of mentos by the register before paying for the gas. Jack waited for him by the door to walk back to the car with him. 

"Felt the need for a minty fresh breath?" Jack asked when Hiccup started the car.

"Hey, you never know when that might matter."

"Right. Good thing I got something minty too," he said with a laugh. He took out a small container of ice cream from his bag.

"Ice cream. You know we don’t have a cooler, right? Nevermind a freezer."

"That’s fine; I’m eating it all right now."

He took off the lid and licked his lips at the sight of the pale green ice cream with dark flecks. Mint chocolate chip flavored. Hiccup shook his head with a bemused smile when Jack fished a spoon out of the front pocket of his blue hoodie. He scooped some ice cream up and placed it into his mouth, closing his eyes with a satisfied moan that made Hiccup’s cheeks flush a little. He decided to keep his eyes on the mostly empty road.

"That good?"

"Sorry. I really like ice cream."

"I hope so, if you're planning on eating all that right now."

"You want some?"

"I’m driving." 

Movement seen from the corner of his eyes caught his attention and he turned just in time to have a spoonful of ice cream shoved at his mouth. He opened it reflexively. Jack pushed the spoon in and the sweet, minty taste of the frozen dessert filled his mouth. Jack withdrew the spoon with a satisfied smirk. Hiccup’s own lips curled up.

"Just tell me if you want a cookie or something," Jack said.

"Fine."

* * *

When they stopped for lunch, Jack left his backpack in the trunk. He walked a few step away from the car, turned back to look at the trunk, bit his lip, then joined Hiccup, who waited for him by the diner’s entrance. It felt like a victory. Hiccup got in first and he took a seat by the window like Jack seemed to favor. He was rewarded with a smile for his choice. Hiccup smiled back.

"You two are so cute," the woman who handed them menus cooed, like she was talking to small children. "Have you been together for long?"

Jack blinked. Hiccup gaped.

"Wh–what? We’re not together. I mean, not together together. We’re, like, with each other right now, and that’s called being together but we’re not–"

"We’re not a couple," Jack finished for him, a lot more composed than Hiccup.

"Oh. I’m sorry. This is embarrassing. I really though… hum, sorry. Just wave at me when you’re ready to order."

She rushed away, her cheeks probably as red as Hiccup’s. He was more panicked than embarrassed, though. He was worried he had been giving Jack googly eyes or something. He didn’t want Jack to believe he was pining for him. Which he probably was. Hiccup hadn’t quite sorted his feelings yet, but whatever they were, he really wanted to make this friendship work. He didn’t want to make Jack uncomfortable or drive him away.

Jack seemed more amused by the situation, however. He threw Hiccup a wink.

"Hey, apparently we make a cute couple."

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

The room they were staying in that night was slightly bigger and even had an old TV. Jack dropped his pack next to one of the bed, kicked off his shoes and let himself fall across the bed with his legs dangling off much like he had the day before. He stretched his arms above his head. After a day spent sitting in the car, this looked like a good idea, so Hiccup dropped down on his own bed.

"I hope it gets easier with time."

"I don’t know, Hic, I don’t sit in cars very often. Can I call you Hic?"

Hiccup smiled softly, pleased with this developpement. 

"Sure. It sounds less stupid than Hiccup anyway."

"I think Hiccup is kind of cute."

"Yeah, well, I’m an adult and I don’t really want my name to be ‘kind of cute’."

"You’re worried it clashes with your manly stubble?"

Hiccup huffed. “You’re just jealous.”

* * *

Jack was flipping through the channels when Hiccup got out of the bathroom, fresh from his shower. Jack had taken one just before him and had settled down on his bed in his boxers and sleeveless shirt to watch TV, leaning against the pillow, his pale legs stretched out. Hiccup quietly noted that he seemed to have hairless legs. He turned his eyes to the TV before Jack could catch him staring.

"Anything good?"

"There’s a cheesy horror movie, a documentary about zebras, and porn."

"Let’s go with the horror movie."

Hiccup settled down on his own bed while Jack flipped the channel to find the horror movie again. He pulled the pillow up against the headboard and slipped his legs under the blankets. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled off the prosthesis. He might as well make himself comfortable. 

The movie did look incredibly cheesy, laughably so, really. Jack grinned and slid off his bed. He skipped to the light switch, turned off the lights, dropped the remote on the nightstand, jumped on Hiccup’s bed and started pulling the blankets off. Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"Jack, what are you doing?"

Jack wrapped the blankets around them and curled up next to him. Hiccup’s heart started to beat a little faster and it had nothing to do with the movie, which failed at being even slightly scary.

"Come on, this is terrifying! I can’t watch it alone. Oh look there’s an arm! I’m so scared!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes at Jack’s theatrics, but a smile played on his lips. Jack gave the most fake-sounding cry when an equally fake-looking head fell on the pavement and Hiccup rubbed his back, telling himself he was just playing along. He wondered, though.

For someone he had just met, Jack was being pretty affectuous. Was it because, after a year of almost constant travelling, Jack was a little deprived for affection? How often did the other man get to be close to someone like this?  Did he stay in one place long enough to make friends he could hang around with? Did it hurt to leave? Was Jack maybe starting to think of him as a potential lasting companion? Was Hiccup just wistful?

"Shush, I’m there." Hiccup wasn’t sure if he was saying this in answer to Jack’s fake terror or his own thoughts.

"Hic, hold me! This is too scary. I’ll never sleep tonight."

Hiccup held him.

* * *

Whatever Jack pretended, he fell asleep before the end of the movie. Hiccup smiled softly and turned off the TV to avoid waking him up. Jack had been up early, after all, so Hiccup let him sleep. Even if it was on his bed.

"I guess you can take this one," he whispered.

He disentangled himself from the blanket and wrapped it back around Jack. He gently shifted him until he was lying on the bed, with his head on the pillow, rather than leaning against the headboard. He caught himself stroking the other man’s white hair and he pulled his hand away, shaking his head.

Hiccup crawled off the bed, grabbed his prosthesis and hopped to the other bed. He leaned the artificial limb against it where he could easily grab it in the morning. Slipping under the cover, he threw one last look at Jack. He wanted to go back there and hold him again. To fall asleep with Jack in his arms. Hiccup sighed. He really was pining for him.


	5. Nightmares

_The road extended endlessly in front of Hiccup. He sat behind the wheel, the wind blowing through his hair, an easy smile stretching his lips. A golden mist surrounded the road on both sides, sometime parting just enough to let him see incredible vistas. At his side, Jack threw him a carefree grin. Hiccup’s own smile widened._

_"And where do you think you’re going, young man?"_

_A heavy hand fell on his shoulder and pulled. He was wrenched out of the car. The road dissipated. The mist grew thicker and blurred as he rushed past them, the bright future ahead falling from his grasp. Jack looked back at him. Hiccup reached out for him, but he was gone._

  _The mist parted again to reveal the familiar walls of his bedroom. A hand still gripped his shoulder and he dreaded turning around. He knew who he would find behind him. The hand didn’t wait for him, though. It spun him around and there he was, towering over him with a scowl on his face. His dad. Hiccup shuffled in place and looked down like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar._

_"Dad, I–"_

_"What were you thinking, Hiccup? You’ll get yourself killed out there."_

_"I won’t–"_

_"Not another word! You’re staying here."_

_"But–"_

_His dad left and slammed the door shut. Heavy chains wrapped themselves around it. He tried to pull it open, but it wouldn’t budge._

_"Hiccup!"_

_Jack’s voice. Hiccup’s heart caught in his throat. He ran to the window. Jack stood in the petunias far below his window. Thick iron bars kept him from escaping this way._

_"Jack…"_

_"Hiccup, come on! Weren’t we going wherever together? What are you doing back here?"_

_"I can’t come, Jack. I’m locked in."_

_Jack frowned and started climbing the wall. It seemed like such a long climb, like Hiccup’s room was in some high tower. But Jack persevered and he eventually reached Hiccup’s window. He pulled on the bars, but they didn’t budge._

_"I’ll get you out, just wait."_

_"It’s pointless, Jack. I’m stuck here. Forever."_

_Jack pressed his face against the bar with a sigh. Hiccup leaned forward and kissed him through the gaps. When he reopened his eyes, Jack stood in front of him in his bedroom. The white-haired man looked around in panic, his eyes stopping briefly on the chains and the bars before returning to Hiccup, full of hurt and accusations. Like Hiccup had just betrayed him._

* * *

Hiccup took a few deep breath to calm down upon waking up, anxiety clawing at his throat. Childish voices filled the otherwise silent room, the television’s volume kept low to avoid waking him. It took a long time before Hiccup dared open his eyes.

Jack sat on the other bed, still wrapped in the blanket, his legs drawn to his chest and his toes poking out. He kept his eyes glued to the television with rapt attention, where a purple unicorn was learning some valuable lesson about friendship. Despite how upset he still was, Hiccup managed a smile.

"My Little Pony? Really?"

Jack startled. He raked a hand through his hair and threw Hiccup a sheepish smile.

"It’s a guilty pleasure. Are you alright? You’re a little pale."

He ignored the question. “Oh, dear god, I picked up a brony.” 

"What’s a brony? Wait, don’t change the subject. Are you alright?"

"I’m fine. Just a bad dream."

"It wasn’t because of that horror movie, was it?"

Hiccup chuckled a bit and smirked. “Don’t worry. I’m not as easily scared as you.”

Jack pulled the blanket tighter around himself and shuddered. “Good. Otherwise who’s gonna comfort me? I’m still shaking, Hic.”

"How about that unicorn?"

"Her name’s Twilight Sparkle," Jack informed him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"About My Little Pony?"

"No, you idiot. Your bad dream."

Hiccup opened his mouth to say it was nothing, but he stopped himself. Hadn’t he been thinking about how he wanted to tell Jack his story? About how he hoped Jack would open up to him? This might be a good place to start. He didn’t have to tell him everything, especially not the part where he dreamed that they kissed, but he could at least give Jack an idea of what this was about. Hiccup sighed. 

"It’s just, you know, this whole thing is very new to me. Being on my own, or close to. Not having anyone tell me what to do. I feel so free, but I’m a little…"

"Anxious?"

"Yeah. "

"Still trying to adjust, eh?"

"More like afraid it won’t last," Hiccup admitted. Jack cocked his head to the side and turned off the TV. Hiccup brought his good leg up against his chest. "I was… dreaming my father dragged me back home and locked me in my room. One moment, I was free, with an endless road in front of me. The next, I was trapped between four wall."

"So… you left home to get away from your dad?"

"Yeah… but don’t get me wrong! My dad isn’t a bad person, he’s just… stubborn and overprotective. He doesn’t trust me to take care of myself. Especially since…"

He gestured vaguely at his blanket-covered left leg. Jack nodded.

"Did your dream end there?"

"Oh, hum…" He rubbed the back of his head, not sure how to say that without sounding weird. "You showed up and asked me what I was doing here, said that we were supposed to going wherever."

Jack nodded, giving him his full attention. At least he didn’t think to find it odd that Hiccup was dreaming of him. Then again, he had been a constant presence at his side these past few days. There was nothing unusual in him being the voice that called him back to the road.

"And then?" Jack asked, leaning forward eagerly.

Hiccup’s cheeks flushed and he played with his bedsheets. He sighed.

"Then it turned full on ‘princess in the tower’ scenario."

It was embarrassing to admit, but that was really what it had been. He had been the damsel in distress and Jack had been his prince charming. The white-haired man stayed silent for several long seconds. Hiccup didn’t dare meet his gaze.

"Your father… he must make you feel really helpless," Jack said softly.

Hiccup looked up. Jack was staring at his knees, the blanket drawn tight around him. Hiccup had never seen him so openly vulnerable. He bit his lip.

"I suppose so."

Jack looked up to meet his eyes, searching them. Hiccup didn’t know what he was looking for, but Jack broke into a smile. “Alright.”

"What’s alright?"

"If your dad drags you back home, I’ll come to rescue you."

Hiccup’s breath caught. He should have been happy, but all he could think of was that betrayed stare Jack had given him before he woke.

"Please don’t," he whispered.

Hiccup hadn’t expected the reaction his words would cause. Jack’s eyes widened, he tensed and went even paler than usual. 

"I–I’m sorry. You can take care of yourself, I know. I didn’t mean to say–" He stood abruptly and grabbed his pack. Hiccup panicked. He was half expecting Jack to just walk out of the room without even getting dressed. "Sorry. I’ll go brush my teeth. And get changed. I’ll be in the bathroom."

"Wait, Jack, wait!"

Jack didn’t stop. He hurried to the bathroom and opened the door. Hiccup cursed under his breath and got up to physically grab him before he could lock himself in there. Or he tried to get up, at least. In a moment of absent-mindedness he was far from proud of, he forgot he was an amputee. And that he wasn’t wearing his prosthesis. He collapsed by his bed the moment he tried to put his weight on his nonexistent left foot.

"Hic, are you alright?"

Hiccup lifted his face off the ground and gave Jack a little smile. "Got you to wait, didn’t I?"

Jack hesitantly returned the smile. He abandoned his pack by the bathroom’s door and came to sit in front of him. Hiccup sat up as well and ignored the bruises he could feel forming from his fall.

"Alright, fine. I’m waiting," Jack said when Hiccup was sitting in front of him.

"I just… I don’t want you getting involved in this. It’s not your fight."

Jack stared at the ground between them. He sighed and stood again.

"I get you," he said. Hiccup didn’t miss the lack of agreement. "Do you need help getting back up?"

"I’ll be fine."

Jack nodded and returned to the bathroom. Hiccup didn’t stop him this time. He waited until he had closed the door behind him to grab the edge of the bed and pull himself back up. He sat back on his bed, reached for his own pack on the other side and took out his journal.

He hadn’t wanted to turn the light back on and risk waking Jack yesterday, so he had not written about their movie night together. And now he had something else to write, too. He should not wait until the evening. Who knew how much more he might have to say by then? Better write what he could now.

_"Day 3"_

He hesitated, not sure how to begin. He thought back of how he had held Jack the day before as he faked being scared. He thought of his dream, of the part where he had kissed Jack and he touched his lips before he could stop himself. He thought of Jack sitting on the next bed, wrapped in his blanket, listening to him talk about his father. He looked at the bathroom’s door, sighed, and scribbled one line that summarized his feelings perfectly.  
  
 _"I think I’m falling in love."_


	6. A Walk in the Park

When they left the motel, Jack trailed a few steps behind Hiccup. He didn’t worry about that until the other man stopped when Hiccup threw his backpack into the trunk rather than going to the passenger door.

"Man, I’m gonna go crazy if I have to sit in a car for an entire day again."

Hiccup froze with his hand on the car’s door. He spent so long worrying about whether or not Jack liked him enough to continue with him, he hadn’t really stop to consider that maybe he didn’t even  _like_ travelling by car for long periods of time. Was Jack thinking of continuing on his own? But, to tell the truth, Hiccup wasn’t so eager to spend the entire day in the car either.

 "Well… are we in a hurry to go anywhere?" he asked. "We could take a break."

Jack grinned and waved a pamphlet at him. Some sort of tourist thing he must have picked up in the lobby. Hiccup hid a sigh of relief. So it seemed like a break is exactly what he had in mind. Hiccup took it from Jack’s hand to check out the local attractions. He had no idea what Jack might like.

"So, uh… do you want to go to the zoo?"

"I was thinking more about that park there. We could take a walk, stretch our legs, and it’s free."

The park in question, a forested hill in a nearby town, did seem like a pleasant place to take a walk. The pictures showed happy families, couples walking arm in arm, wild animals, tall trees and even a picnic area. He had always liked walking through the forest around his hometown, but he hadn’t expected this to be something Jack would enjoy.

"We could buy some sandwiches and eat there," Hiccup mused.

"Yes. Great! So, that’s decided. Let’s go."

Jack all but skipped to the passenger door with a smile. Hiccup took a quick look at the map at the back of the pamphlet to figure out how to get there. He would need to go along small roads, which was a welcomed change from the highways he had been using for the past days. A loud, sudden honk made him jump and drop the pamphlet. His lips curled up at the sight of Jack waving at him impatiently. He picked the pamphlet back up.

"We’re going, we’re going!" he said, taking his place in the driver’s seat. "We’re not going to get there any faster if we get lost."

"Life’s an adventure. Don’t plan too hard."

"I thought you said you were tired of sitting in the car."

"Fine. Just give me that map."

* * *

Jack, it turned out, could not read a map, but they got there anyway, thanks to Hiccup’s memory and the wonders of signalization. Jack assured him it was way more fun that way. Hiccup rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway. They stopped at a little grocery store and bought some sandwiches, drinks and even a small bag of apples that Jack had been eyeing until Hiccup picked it up, earning himself a smile. 

The park was on the edge of town and Hiccup parked his car next to the entrance. Jack eagerly jumped out with their lunch. He spent the short trip from the grocery store selecting the best apples from their bag. Or the most picnic-appropriated. Hiccup didn’t know what his criteria were, but he turned all of them in his hands one by one before picking two and leaving the rest with his half-empty box of cookies and whatever else he had bought at that gas station.

"Wait," Hiccup called before Jack could run too far, "I have a messenger bag in the trunk. I’ll put our lunch in it."

Jack skipped back to the car and almost bounced in place while he waited for Hiccup to find the bag and cram the plastic bag with their food inside it. Before closing the trunk, he pulled a digital camera out of his pack. If they were going sightseeing, he might has well take some pictures.

"I got thrilling news, Hic. There’s a map of the park over there."

"Oh, good," Hiccup said, choosing to ignore the mocking tone. "Does it say where the picnic areas are?"

"I think so."

The main path through the park went up the forested hill in a sinuous path, curved next to a lake in a hollow in the top, before wrapping back around to come back to the entrance. An area labeled as “the overlook”, directly next to the lake, had a picnic table picture.

"How about we eat there? The view must be beautiful."

"What about this one instead?" Jack said in a rush, pointing at another spot on the map. "It looks nice."

Jack looked away the moment Hiccup met his eyes, but he straightened his back, defensive. Of all the things he could have expected to upset the other man, their choice on where to eat their lunch hadn’t been one of them. Maybe he didn’t like heights.

"Yes, it looks like a fine place," Hiccup answered. Nevermind that it was just a featureless spot a little off the trail and that there was probably more interesting choices. "Alright, let’s eat there."

Jack finally did meet his eyes with a little smile, half embarrassed, half grateful. Hiccup just pointed his chin at the trail and started off. He’d love to know what this was about, but better not pry when Jack was clearly self-conscious over his reaction.

Stepping under the shade of the tall trees always felt like walking into another world. A more beautiful, more magical word. The sun only reached through in scattered beams and the chill in the air became more obvious here. Fall was almost there.

"I guess summer is over, now," Hiccup said to try and start a conversation. Because talking about the weather was always the way to go. Didn’t seemed forced at all.

"Good."

"You don’t like summer?"

"I sunburn easily," Jack answered with a small smile.

A more comfortable silence settled between them. Jack walked by his side for only a short while longer before skipping ahead to inspect some interesting rocks, then some trees on the other side of the path, before running back until something else caught his attention. He reminded Hiccup of a child with too much energy to spend and endless curiosity.

Hiccup took out his digital camera. What was the point of going on a trip like this if he had no photos to bother take out at Christmas parties when he was old and gray? He turned it on, checked the battery and played with the settings until he was satisfied. Jack kept zigzagging ahead of him. The next time he crossed the path in front of him, Hiccup raised the camera and called out to the other man.

"Hey, Jack!"

Hiccup snapped a picture the moment he turned. Jack made a face, but thankfully not before Hiccup had immortalized his inquisitive and somewhat surprised expression, with the smile still on his lips and the childish glint in his eyes.

"Hey!"

"Calm down, it’s just a picture," Hiccup laughed.

"I look like an idiot on it, don’t I?"

"No, of course you don’t. You look fine, don’t worry."

Jack shrugged and went back to his exploration of the trail without insisting the candid picture be deleted. Hiccup took one last look at it. It was hard to fully appreciate at such a small size, but he had a laptop in his pack that he could transfer the photos to in the evening. He would look at it then. For now, he turned his attention, and his camera, to the forest around them.

It reminded him very much of the forests in Berk where he liked to retreat for some time alone. The smell, the mossy ground, the way the leaves scattered the light and all those little details he had noticed in his time spent walking around the old forest near his hometown. An unexpected feeling of nostalgia overcame him.

He missed it, he realized. In his eagerness to leave Berk, to get away from everything he didn’t like about the place, he hadn’t stopped to think about how he would be leaving everything else behind as well. Everything he had grown used to, gone. The thick, mossy forests, the salty air, the fish stew from Berk’s Cauldron; everything. And only now did he really appreciate how much he would miss some of those things. Even his dad. It made him a little dizzy.

"Hic? You okay?"

He let out a startled sound and stumbled backward when he saw just how close Jack had gotten without him even noticing.

"Uh, yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking."

"Want to talk about it?" he asked softly, for the second time today. 

Again, Hiccup wanted to brush it off. It wasn’t even anything important. Just a bit of nostalgia. But why shouldn’t he just talk about it? I wasn’t some deep, dark secret. And Jack wasn’t like the men in Berk. He wouldn’t judge him for daring to talk about his feelings. Except, maybe, the feelings he had for the white-haired man. Better not try his luck.

"It’s just that this place reminds me of… home," he admitted. 

"You miss it?"

"I hated a lot of it… but yes. It was my home, my family." He took in a slow, deep breath. "I’ll go back there, one day. When I’ve proved to them that I can take care of myself. When I’ve figured out how I want to live my life. I’ll go back home. Maybe I won’t stay, but I’ll go back."

"Good," Jack said with a smile and he clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You’ll show them."

Hiccup’s lips quirked up. That sounded like a plan. And now that he knew that he would see it again one day, he felt better about thinking back of all the nice things he left behind. He wondered if Jack felt the same about his home. If he had any plans for the future.

"What about you? You’ve been travelling for a year. Do you ever plan on settling down?"

Jack looked away. His hand slipped from Hiccup’s shoulder. He shoved both hands in the front pocket of his hoodie and he turned to continue down the path before answering.

"Not really. I make a mess wherever I go."

Hiccup didn’t know what to answer to that. He just watched him walk away and wished he dared ask.


	7. Chapter 7

Jack was thankfully not one to brood for too long. He recovered his smile the moment a squirrel dashed in front of him and he was back to cheerfully exploring the forest path. Hiccup was relieved to see that. He didn’t want this little break in their travels to turn into a painful experience for his companion. Or for himself. He pushed his nostalgia aside and raised his camera again.

He took photos of anything that caught his interest: a group of mossy rocks, a butterfly on a wildflower, Jack standing on a stone to look around, a chipmunk, a short wooden bridge half covered in vegetation, Jack walking gracefully on the railing of said bridge, a tree leaning half on its side, some large, red mushrooms, Jack stopping in an open area to feel the wind in his hair…

 So, maybe there was a bit more photos of Jack than what would be considered normal, but Hiccup couldn’t deny that he was an attractive subject. It wasn’t just that he had a pretty face. That much was true, but it wasn’t all. It was the way he smiled with his whole face, the way he stood on the balls of his feet like he was ready to run off any moment. It was his entire body language and the way his curiosity and amusement were visible even in still pictures. It was all that and more.

Jack’s enthusiasm dimmed considerably when they reached a set of wooden stairs leading to an observation deck. Hiccup hurried his step to join him. He placed a hand on Jack shoulder.

"We could go around."

"You said the view must be beautiful. Don’t you want to take a picture? Come on."

Jack took his hand and started up the stairs. Hiccup hesitated to follow, but Jack turned around and gave him a reassuring smile. As if he was the one who needed reassuring. Hiccup sighed and climbed the stairs.

A family with three children was already settled at one of the tables on the deck. From up here, the view truly was beautiful. The lake nestled between the sloping, tree-covered sides of the mountain and glittered under the midday sun and, if he looked up, he could see the peak of the mountain high above. But Hiccup would have appreciated the scene a lot more if he hadn’t been worried about his companion.

Jack’s face was carefully blank. He walked to the railing and stared down at the shimmering surface of the lake. Hiccup followed him. He glanced at Jack’s paler than usual face in concern and at his fingers clutching the railing. He wondered if he should just ask. Or maybe hug him. Before Hiccup could take a decision he would regret later, Jack took a deep breath and smiled at him.

"I’m gonna go check where our picnic area is supposed to be. Take your time here."

"A-are you sure?"

"Yeah, don’t worry. I’m not going far. And there’s no bears." Jack gave him a jaunty little wave and skipped to the other set of stair leading off the observation deck. "You can show me the pictures later!"

* * *

Finding Jack again once he left the deck was easier than he expected. He only needed to call for the white-haired man to come back running with a large smile. Maybe there had been no reason to worry for him, after all. He looked fine. Or at least he hoped he was.

"Hic! I found it. It’s not far and I’m hungry, so come on!"

Hiccup’s own stomach growled. Stopping to eat sounded like a wonderful idea right now. He fell in step behind Jack. The pale man led him to narrow branching trail almost hidden from view by vegetation. It widened a short distance away into a clearing surrounded by tall pines. The two picnic tables were free and they were out of sight of the main trail.

It felt intimate. Hiccup appreciated that. Alone, he would have preferred the deck by the lake, but with his current company, a secluded, quiet spot where they could spend some time alone together without being cooped up in a motel room was certainly seemed like a good idea. And he had to admit this place was nice.

He settled himself at one of the picnic tables and set down his messenger bag to start taking out their lunch. Jack sat sideway in front of him with one elbow on the table and his legs resting lazily over the bench. He gathered his part of the lunch while Hiccup unwrapped the tuna sandwich he chose for himself.

Jack parted his two slices of bread slightly to sniff at the chicken salad inside. He must have deemed it satisfactory, for he bit down into it with enthusiasm. Hiccup smiled slightly at the sight. The zest Jack approached life with never seized to amaze him. For someone who obviously had quite a bit of pain to deal with, he sure didn’t let that bring him down.

Hiccup took few swallows from his soda to wash the tuna sandwich down, then put the bottle back into the bag. He had been avoiding drinking a lot since they were spending so much time on the road. He didn’t want to stop to go to the bathroom all the time. Jack frowned at him. He chewed on his mouthful of chicken and bread while gesturing at the bag, but Hiccup didn’t learn what he was trying to say until he managed to swallow.

"You should drink all of it."

"What does it matter?"

"You haven’t been drinking enough. You’ll get dehydrated. And make sure you eat that apple. Vitamins, you know?"

"Geez, what’s with you? Are you a nutritionist, or something?"

"No, but I learned the hard way that not enough water and a poor diet can lead to randomly fainting and, since you’re driving, it’s in my best interest to make sure you don’t."

"Oh. Okay, good point." Hiccup fished the bottle out of his bag. He took a long sip from it and raised an eyebrow at Jack. The other man grinned. "So… fainting? I hope it wasn’t too bad."

"Nah. It’s not like I was in the middle of nowhere. And it did lead to me staying in the nice little town of Burgess…"

Jack’s smile turned nostalgic and a little pained. Hiccup remembered his earlier words.  _"I make a mess wherever I go"_. He swallowed. He turned his bottle in his hand, took one more sip, hesitated, then smirked at Jack.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Hearing his own words sent back at him startled Jack, but he laughed a little and ran a hand through his hair. Hiccup could tell his was considering this. He held his breath.

"Fine," Jack said at last. "I’ll tell you how I met Santa."

"S-Santa?"

"Yes. Santa. It was one late November afternoon…"

* * *

_Jack entered the small, snow-covered town as the sun got low on the horizon. Some Christmas lights already decorated several of the houses. There was a general mood of holiday cheer, even though December wasn’t even there yet. It made Jack smile. A shopping mall all adorned with Christmas ornaments caught his attention. His stomach growled. Surely the place had some cheap place he could eat in._

_He hadn’t realized how cold it was outside until he stepped in the mall. The wave of heat that hit him was almost suffocating. Jack took off his gloves, unwrapped his the scarf from around his neck and removed the wool cap that covered his ears. He kept the hood on, to avoid getting stared at by the crowds of children running around the hallways or holding their parents hands._

_The number of people here this Monday afternoon surprised him, but he soon saw what they were here for. A little ahead, set up in a central area, Santa Clause sat on an ornate chair surrounded by a high Christmas tree, fake snow, and some actual reindeer in a fenced off area. A wall behind him was beautifully painted with glaciers. The man’s resounding laugh made Jack grin. He felt like a kid again._

_He was so taken by all of the excitement and wonder around him that he didn’t pay too much attention to his immediate surroundings. So he didn’t notice the blonde girl with the fairy wings until she bumped into his arm and knocked the cap from his hand. He chuckled at her enthusiasm, bent down to pick up the fallen item, and straightened up to continue on his way._

_Or he would have, if the world hadn’t blurred around him the moment he stood straight again. When he blinked again after what he thought was only a momentary lapse, the bearded face of the mall’s Santa filled his vision and a large hand tapped the side of his face. He noticed he was lying down. It took a moment longer to see he was lying on the red carpet leading to Santa’s throne._

_"You are awake!" the man boomed with a prominent Russian accent._

_"Wh–how did I get here?"_

_"I moved you out of crowd. You need space." He slipped a hand under Jack’s shoulder to help him sit and pressed a water bottle to his lips. "Here. Drink. Will make you feel better."_

_The cool water did help his head stop spinning. He only now became aware of the crowd watching them curiously from the other side of the golden fence enclosing this area. He shifted uncomfortably under their stares. His hood had fallen off and he wanted to pull it back on. Or to get to somewhere he wouldn’t be the center of attention._

_"Uh, thanks, sir. I should, er, get going."_

_"What’s your name, kid?"_

_"Jack Frost," he answered, a bit to out of it to realize that his first name alone would have been enough._

_"Jack Frost?" the man asked in surprised._

—

"Wait, your name is Jack Frost?" Hiccup interrupted. And he thought he was the one with the unusual name.

"Oh, I never told you?"

"No. No, I think I would remember that."

"Yeah, it’s a bit… er…"

"I think it suits you," Hiccup said with a smile.

It suited him almost too much, really. Pale as he was, with the white hair and the blue eyes, Hiccup had to wonder, for a few insane seconds, if Jack wasn’t  _the_ Jack Frost, the spirit of winter itself, rather than, as he suspected, an albino kid whose parents had a bit too much fun naming him. Jack’s cheeks took on a rosy tone.

"Do you want to hear the story, or not?"

"Sorry. Please continue."

* * *

_The mall’s Santa scooped him up before he could protest. The man was huge, he realized when he stood up, holding him with only one arm. He picked up Jack’s pack like it weighted nothing. The big man walked to the door in the golden fence and gestured for the crowd to part._

_"Children! I need to be be away for a moment. Jack Frost though to visit, but the mall was a bit warm for him."_

_The children whispered in wonder. They pointed at him with big smiles on their faces. Jack smiled back. He waved at them hesitantly and they shouted with joy. Soon, Santa’s long strides took them out of the crowd and into a small hallway the man had a hard time shoving himself in. A door at the end led to what looked like an empty staff lunchroom. The man set Jack down at one of the tables. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to he doing here._

_"Uh… I’m fine now. I can be on my way. No need to trouble you."_

_Santa Clause set his pack down on the table. “Travelling?”_

_"Uh, yes."_

_"Have you been eating well, Jack Frost?"_

_Jack’s cheeks flushed. “I–I’ve been eating.”_

_The man frowned. He opened a fridge, rummaged through a lunchbox and took out an orange. He placed the fruit into Jack’s hand._

_"You eat this."_

_"I don’t need—"_

_"Where are you staying?"_

_"I… didn’t look for a place yet."_

_"Good! You stay here. Eat the orange. I get off work in half an hour. You come home with me, eat real food. I have guest room."_

_"Wh–what?"_

_"Now, I must go! Children waiting."_

_A large hand slapped his shoulder and the man left him there, holding an orange, completely confused._

_"But… but why?"_

* * *

"He made the biggest meal I had ever eaten. I swear, I ate so much that I just kind of fell asleep at the table. He made me admit, at some point during dinner, that I was running out of money and would have to stop somewhere and get a job soon."

"So you stayed in Burgess? How long?"

"A month. North—that was his name—helped me get a job. At the mall. I got to dress up as Jack Frost and entertain the kids waiting in lines to see Santa. Aster, the guys who was in charge of the costumes and, well, everything else, didn’t like me much, so he slapped as much glitter on the outfit as he could manage."

Jack chuckled. His eyes had a faraway look to them and a hint of regret clouded his features. His hand shook a little, so he clutched his bottle of lemonade to hide it. Hiccup picked up Jack’s apple and held it out to the white-haired man with a crooked grin.

"You should eat your vitamins too."

Jack laughed. He took the apple and smiled at him, a small, grateful smile. Then, in that way that was uniquely Jack, he pushed everything away, grinned, and bit down in the apple.

"Now you eat your fruit too. I’m not dragging your skinny butt anywhere if you pass out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm taking so long to post chapters. I have them written up to chapter 13, so this is purely laziness on my part.


	8. Pictures and Smiles

Hiccup put the journal away with a sigh and ran a hand through his freshly washed hair. There was so much he wanted to write, but he didn’t know how to put it into words. This would have to do. For now. He could always pick up the journal again later. Right now, he wanted to take a better look at those photos he took.

 He rolled to the edge of the bed to fish his camera and his laptop out of his bag, along with the cable to connect them and started transferring the photos from one device to another. He was finishing, when Jack stepped out of the bathroom. He peeked at the screen.

"Oh, are those the photos you were taking of the park? Can I see them?"

Hiccup hesitated, a little embarrassed at how many of these were photos of Jack himself, but he couldn’t find any not too suspicious reason to refuse to show them until until he had moved those to a different folder. And it didn’t seem fair to him that he would have a secret stash of photos of Jack that he didn’t even know about.

"Sure."

He sat up, leaned against the headboard and placed the laptop on his knees so Jack could look at them with him. His travelling companion joined him on the bed, sitting close enough that their side were pressed together and his wet hair tickled at Hiccup’s ear. He longed to wrap an arm around him and pull him closer. Hiccup licked his lips and clicked on the first photo.

It was the one where he called Jack and snapped a picture as he spun around. It had turned out even better than he thought when he saw it on the camera’s screen. The light played on Jack’s white hair through the canopy as it bounced back in place, his eyes crinkled with joy while his eyebrows raised in question. His smile, ever so beautiful…

Hiccup didn’t know how long he could stare before Jack started thinking it was weird. He would have liked to keep looking, to trail his fingers over the pale cheeks pictured or, even better yet, the real thing. He cleared his throat.

"So, as you can see, you don’t look like an idiot."

Jack laughed an shrugged. “Fine. I guess it’s not bad.”

"I told you so."

He moved on to the next picture and handed Jack the laptop so he could look at them at his own pace. The young man took his time with each picture, making little sounds of approval that made Hiccup preen. The only ones he went over a little faster where those depicting him. He gave those a quick inspection before moving on, but he didn’t comment on how many Hiccup had taken.

"Those are really good," Jack said at last. "Where did you learn to take photos like this?"

"Oh, uh, school. I was a photography major for a while."

"Really? So you’re a professional?"

"No, not really. I didn’t stay long. I… couldn’t really make up my mind in college."

Jack looked at him with interest. “What else did you do?”

"Er… I did wildlife biology, visual arts, engineering… I think that’s it. I was considering learning bread-making, but I decided it might be a good time to take a break until I could figure that out."

"Wow, that’s impressive."

"But I’m not all that good at any of that stuff."

"Your photos are."

Hiccup’s cheeks heated slightly and he turned his head aside to hide the silly smile on his lips. “Maybe. But I don’t really have any experience actually  _doing_  anything. You’ve been a Jack Frost in a mall. I call  _that_  impressive.”

It was Jack’s turn to blush. He kept his gaze on a photo of some mushrooms to avoid looking at him. “That’s nothing. All I had to do was skip around dressed like an elf and entertain some kids.”

Hiccup would have been ready to pay a lot of money to see that. “So, what else did  _you_ do? I supposed you’ve had other job?”

"Yeah, usually as a waiter or a barista. I’m good at smiling prettily to get good tips."

Jack demonstrated that, sending one of those pretty smiles Hiccup’s way. His heart beat faster. His silly smile returned. Hiccup didn’t doubt he would have given him a good tip. Jack gave an embarrassed chuckle and returned to the photos. He didn’t speak again until he had gone through all of them and had returned the laptop to Hiccup.

"That was a nice day. Thanks for agreeing to come to come to that park. I know it’s pretty selfish of me since you’re giving me a free ride–"

"No! No, not at all. I really needed to take a walk as well. And you’re right, that was a nice day. We should do that again."

Still pressed against his side, Jack smiled brightly at him. Hiccup’s heart melted a little.

* * *

Hiccup woke up to something ticking his nose and a fresh scent of pine. His eyes slowly fluttered open. The first thing he saw was a blur of white. He had to move his head back a little to realize that it was Jack’s messy hair he had buried his nose in. One of his arm was slung around the man’s slim waist.

His first reaction was to smile and pull Jack a little closer. His second reaction, when he was bit bit more awake, was to panic. What was Jack going to think? That Hiccup was trying to take advantage of him in his sleep? What should he say when he woke up? Could he get up without rousing him and pretend like he had slept on the other bed?

Jack shifted. His blue eyes slowly opened and looked sleepily at his bedmate. Hiccup’s heart jumped. The sleepiness in Jack’s eyes was slowly replaced by confusion and a hint of worry.

"Hi, Jack," Hiccup said in a rush. "Good morning." He forced a laugh. "I think we talked really late and fell asleep."

Jack propped himself on one elbow and stared at him with concern. "Hiccup, are you alright? Did you have another nightmare?"

"A nightmare? No. I mean yes. Yes." Jack didn’t seem to even question their position. Hiccup was probably making thing worst by panicking and calling attention to the situation. He might as well use that excuse. "I was dreaming about, uh, dragons trying to eat me."

Jack smiled. “Well, I assure you that this room is dragon-free.”

Hiccup smiled back. “Good. That’s a relief.”

They stayed there, holding each other’s gaze, for several long seconds. Then, Jack must have realized how awkward this was, for he cleared his throat and rolled off the bed with flushed cheeks.

"I’m so sorry; I keep falling asleep on your bed."

"Hey, it’s alright. We both drifted off. Don’t worry about it."

Jack gave him a bashful smile. He sat on the edge of the other bed and stretched. “What’s the plan for today?”

"First, breakfast. Then, we’ll have to find a gas station and fill up, or we won’t get very far. After that, well, we’ll see."

"Great. I like that plan. Especially the breakfast part." Jack stood with a grin. "So, what are we waiting for?"


	9. At Knifepoint

“And I heard they have a fair. With a Ferris wheel!”

"A Ferris wheel?" Hiccup actually had to laugh. "I haven’t been in one of those in a decade."

Jack flashed those pearly whites at him. “Now’s you chance to change that, Hic. Seize it!”

 Jack’s infectious enthusiasm had him fighting a grin. But, really, he still had some pride left and smiling like an idiot over the prospect of a Ferris wheel and cotton candies was a bit much, so he kept his eyes on the road and avoided looking at his cheerful companion. “Jack,” he said, his voice dripping sarcasm, “you know small town fairs are meant for kids, right?”

"Fine. Be like that. Don’t come crying to me when you start having white hair when you’re twenty."

"I  _am_ twenty already, and no white hair, thank you very much. Unlike you.”

"Hey! Being born with white hair just means that it’s never gonna start graying. I’ll be forever young!"

Hiccup snorted. “Fine. We’ll go to that fair. I’ll even try to win you a giant stuffed toy if you want.”

"You would do that?" Jack asked in a voice pitched much higher than usual. He batted his eyelashes when Hiccup threw him a quick glance. "For me?"

Hiccup’s returned his attention to the road to hide his silly smile. This fair thing might not be such a bad idea. It was childish, true, but he could enjoy a childish moment with Jack. And wasn’t it a perfect romantic setting? Except that they weren’t going there on a date. He had to remember that.

"Sure. But first, we stop here." He gestured at a gas station by the road. "Or we’ll never make it there."

* * *

"I need to go to the restroom," Jack declared when they both got out of the car.

"Don’t get lost on the way back," Hiccup called after him as he started filling up. Jack half-turned to grin at him.

"If I’m not back in an hour, I’ve probably been kidnapped."

Hiccup snorted and watched Jack disappear behind the restroom’s door. It felt like forever ago that the man sat silently next to him in the car with his hood pulled up to hide snowy white locks. It was hard to believed it had been only a few days. Hiccup wondered if this was as strange and shocking to Jack as it was to him.

He replaced the nozzle on the side of the gas pump and went inside to pay. The first thing he saw when he pushed the door open was a large stand of candies directly in front of the door, to greet any child bored from a long trip who could then convince their parents to buy them a treat. Hiccup ignored it and went to the short line to pay.

It was his turn when his travelling companion walked in and immediately went for the candy stand. Hiccup’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. Jack could be such a child. He opened his mouth to throw a sarcastic comment his way, but a man pushing through the door behind Jack caught his attention. He was familiar. A familiarity that set off alarm bells. He should have acted on them right away. By the time he recognized the threat, it was too late.

The man didn’t waste a second after walking in with a confident stride. Something silver flashed in one hand while the other shot forward, grabbed a fistful of Jack’s hair and jerked him backward. “Wha—hey!” he shouted in protest. Hiccup’s heart stopped when a knife’s blade pressed against that pale exposed throat. Jack looked more angry than scared and Hiccup hoped he wouldn’t do anything rash.

The commotion caught the attention of the few other people present. A man screeched. The cashier took a step backward, out of stabbing reach of someone standing on the other side of the counter. That probably wouldn’t be enough to save her if it came to that. The man with the knife grinned at her. Hiccup swallowed hard.

"Good morning, worthless ones! This is a robbery."

"Dagur."

The man stopped grinning. He narrowed his eyes at him. Hiccup hoped he hadn’t just given him a reason to kill him. Jack threw him a questioning look. Good. At least he was distracting Dagur’s hostage from any stupid ideas he might be having. Hiccup didn’t know Jack enough to be sure that he wasn’t secretly a martial art master, but he did know that the young man currently had a knife pressing against his throat.

"Do I know you?" Dagur asked in a curious yet impatient tone.

Everyone was staring at Hiccup, but at least no one was freaking out at the moment. That was good. He had to keep things that way. Freaking out could lead to something unfortunate happening.

"You don’t remember me? Hiccup. Our dads are friends. He used to bring you to Berk to visit, remember? You, uh, tried to drown me in the pool."

Recognition finally lit up Dagur’s eyes. He threw his head back and laughed. It wasn’t a comforting laugh. Hiccup rubbed his arms. “Hiccup! Such good times we had.” He quickly looked Hiccup up and down. “You’ve grown.”

"Uh, yeah, I—"

"But I don’t have time for a reunion. Tell that lady to put all of the money in a bag. I’m in a hurry."

He pressed the blade more strongly on Jack’s throat to make his point. A drop of blood blossomed at the tip and Hiccup’s eyes followed it down until it disappeared behind the blue fabric of Jack’s hooded sweater. Jack frowned and tried to glare at the man behind him. Hiccup locked eyes with him, silently pleading with him to stay calm. He went to the frightened cashier.

"Just do what he said," he whispered. "He’s insane."

She nodded, opened the cash register with shaky hands and emptied it in a plastic bag, pennies and all. The thin plastic was probably not resistant enough to hold all of the coins, but Hiccup wasn’t about to mention that. It would hold long enough for Dagur to get out of here. What happened after, he didn’t care.

"You! Drop that! Now!"

The cashier froze. Hiccup faced Dagur in time to see him turn toward a man in the corner, forcing his hostage to turn with him. Jack stomped on Dagur’s foot while being forcefully moved around and Hiccup doubted that it was an accident. It earned him a good shake, but Dagur wasn’t paying attention to him. The man in the corner screeched again and dropped his cell phone. 

"I was—I was…"

"Probably just trying to take a selfie," Hiccup cut in. "You know how it is. ‘Me at the robbery’."

Jack threw him a disbelieving look, but Hiccup could swear Dagur straightened and posed a little. Hiccup didn’t wait for anything else to happen. He grabbed the plastic bag from the gaping cashier, took a few careful steps toward the madman, and held the bag out. Jack let out a relieved breath when Dagur’s hand released its death grip on his hair.

"Ah, thank you, Hiccup. It was nice catching up with you, but I must be off."

Hiccup forced a smile on his lips. “Don’t let me hold you up.”

The knife finally left Jack’s throat. Before the white-haired man could do anything, Dagur pushed him away, hard. Jack’s crashed into the candy stand and fell to the ground. Colorfully wrapped candies rained down on him. Dagur ran out with a deranged laugh. Jack shook his head and sat up. Candies fell off him.

Hiccup didn’t pay attention to the cashier calling the police behind him. He ran to Jack, kneeled in front of him, and grabbed both of his shoulders to force him to stay still while he made sure he wasn’t hurt. The wound on his throat didn’t look bad. The blade had barely pierced the skin. Jack didn’t seem too shaken by what just happened. He was fine. Relief flooded Hiccup. He wrapped his arms around Jack and pressed him against his chest, one hand rubbing his back soothingly.

"Hic? I’m alright."

"I’m not. Let me have a moment."

* * *

They sat together in front of the gas station and watched the owner, who had stayed hidden through the whole incident, talk to the police. It would be their turn soon, something Jack seemed less than pleased about.

"Do you have any reason to be worried about talking to the police?"

"I didn’t get into any troubles with the law, if that’s what you’re asking. But they tend to think I’m a punk and using a fake name."

Hiccup couldn’t really blame them if they were a little suspicious when they introduced themselves. He didn’t have the most normal name either. “But we’re not the ones who robbed the place. Just… try to cooperate, alright?”

Jack sighed and his shoulders slumped a little. “We’re not going to the fair today, are we?”

Hiccup smiled. After a moment of hesitation, he wrapped an arm around Jack’s shoulders. “I’m afraid not. We’ll just need to have twice as much fun tomorrow to make up for it.”


	10. Post-Traumatic Pizza Night

When the police finally let them go, all Hiccup wanted was to retreat somewhere safe with Jack, where they could recover from the day’s events together in a peaceful and quiet place. So they booked a room at the nearest hotel right away. But instead of some time alone with his companion, Hiccup found himself in a loud crowd, separated from Jack for the first time in several days. 

He took several calming breaths. He drummed his fingers on the counter. This was taking too long. He should have waited a bit more before coming. He should have stayed with Jack a little longer. He didn’t like leaving him alone. Not now. Not today. 

"Here you go, sir. Sorry for the wait."

Hiccup forced himself to smile, nodded at the woman and grabbed his pizza box. He pushed his way through the crowd and out of the restaurant where he came to pick up their order. He was quite eager to return to their shared room. He wished Jack had come with him, but at the same time he was glad he hadn’t. While he waited, Hiccup had jumped whenever someone walked through the door and he was happier knowing his companion was at the hotel, where no one should harm him. As far as he knew, Dagur hadn’t been caught yet. And from what he had heard today, the police had already been looking for him.

But his own peace of mind wasn’t the only reason it was best for Jack to have stayed at the hotel. The white-haired man did his best to look unconcerned by anything that happened today, but Hiccup had noticed him relax almost imperceptibly the moment the room’s door had closed behind them. Jack may be handling the situation surprisingly well, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a little shaken. 

He got into the car and threw the pizza box on the passenger seat. The hotel wasn’t far, but Hiccup could swear he caught every red light between it and the restaurant. He breathed out in relief when he walked through the door and into the lobby. He rushed up the stairs, eager to get to the room he shared with Jack and lock himself in there for a quiet evening. And, he was a little embarrassed to admit, he had a pressing need to make sure Jack was alright.

He tried the handle when he reached their door, but it was locked. Which was good. It showed Jack was at least thinking about his safety. That hadn’t exactly been obvious today. Hiccup knocked. He didn’t hear Jack’s soft footsteps on the other side, but the lock turned, the door cracked open and a pale face appeared. Jack smiled.

"Do I smell pizza?"

He threw the door open, took the box out of Hiccup’s hand and skipped back to one of the bed. Hiccup walked in and locked the door behind him. He was relieved to see Jack well and smiling. The other sat on the bed and looked at him, waiting for Hiccup to join him. That look was almost… grateful. Like he was happy that Hiccup was back.

They exchanged smiles as Hiccup shrugged off his vest, took off his shoes and settled on the bed. Today’s events hung between them, but neither of them spoke of it yet. Jack opened the box, took a slice and bit into it with an appreciative sound. Now that he wasn’t worrying over Jack’s safety, Hiccup realized how much he was starving. He grabbed his own slice. Jack had kicked off his shoes and removed his socks the moment he walked in, but he still wore his blue sweater even inside. It was a little damp where the blood had trickled down earlier. Jack must have tried washing it off while he was away.

"That was… quite a day," Hiccup sighed, trying to breach the subject. There were a few things he wanted to go over, namely Jack’s recklessness when his life was in danger.

"Thank you," Jack said abruptly.

"I–what? For what?"

"For, you know. Staying calm. Taking control of the situation. And helping resolve this without anyone dying."

Hiccup’s cheeks flushed and he looked aside. He didn’t need any thanks. He hadn’t done anything special. He cleared his throat. “Speaking of no one dying, Jack, do you even care one bit about your own life?”

Jack looked down and played with the frayed hem of his jeans. “Sure I do.” He bit down on his pizza slice to avoid saying more.

"Well that sure didn’t show. Dagur’s a madman; he could have killed you over the slightest irritation."

"You know him." It wasn’t a question, but Jack looked back up at him, expecting some sort of explanation. Hiccup ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah…" Hiccup ran a hand through his hair, not sure about how to approach  that subject. "Like I said, our dad were friends. Old business partner, or something. He would visit our town sometime and bring his son with him. He left him to ‘play with the other kids’. He was crazy and probably a psychopath, but his dad never took it seriously. Or he was too scared to do anything."

"What did he do?" Jack acted casual, nibbling on his pizza slice, but he looked at Hiccup from the corner of his eyes while he waited for his reply.

"All kind of things. He threw rocks at us for ‘practice’, he locked my friend Fishleg in a chest where he almost suffocated, he played with knives and threatened us, casually pushed us down low cliffs… and that was when we were kids. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s on the run because he finally killed someone." 

Jack lifted a hand to the red pin prick on his throat. Hiccup didn’t want to scare him needlessly, but he had to understand the situation. 

"You said he tried to drown you in the pool," Jack said quietly. He had stopped eating and was staring intently at the bedcover. 

"Yeah, he did that too. He kept pushing my head under the water and laughing when I came back up coughing."

Hiccup coughed at the memory, like he could feel the water getting into his lung again. It hadn’t been pleasant. Nothing involving Dagur was pleasant. Jack was finally looking at him, but at the same time he wasn’t. His blue eyes, opened wide, seemed to be staring elsewhere and what they saw frightened him.

"That’s terrible," Jack whispered, his voice trembling.

He brought his knees up against his chest and hugged them, his pizza slice forgotten on the box’s lid. He seemed to be trying to hide in the baggy sweater he was still wearing. Hiccup recalled his discomfort at the lake the previous day, how he had turned pale while looking down at the water. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together.  _I need to change the subject. Something mundane and not water-related._

"Aren’t you a bit warm with that?" Hiccup asked, gesturing at the hoodie. Jack’s eyes widened and he curled up protectively even more, like he was afraid someone would try to take his sweater away. Okay. That hadn’t been the best random change of conversation.”I’m not saying you should take it off, just wondering. It seems a bit warm to be wearing layers inside.”

The white-haired man relaxed and actually seemed to be coming back from whatever dark and watery memory he had gotten lost in. Jack’s cheeks reddened a little and he rubbed the back of his head with a smile. “I don’t, uh, actually wear anything under. But I guess I could change into a T-shirt.”

He picked his pizza slice back up and took a large bite out of it before setting it back down to jump off the bed and ruffle through his pack for a clean shirt. He took one out, shook it to try and get rid of the wrinkles without much success, threw it on the bed and took a hold of the hem of his sweater. Hiccup gulped. He hadn’t expected to get to see Jack shirtless when he tried changing the subject.

Jack lifted the shirt and revealed a pale stomach. Hiccup stared. He probably shouldn’t, but if Jack didn’t want him to look, he should have used the bathroom. Or at least turned around. Jack lifted the shirt higher and his back arched while he struggled to get the sweater over his head, showing off his wiry muscles. Hiccup bit his lip and shifted in place.

Jack couldn’t see him, with his head lost in the blue fabric, so Hiccup gave him a quick look over, taking in the pale skin, the sharp angles and the visible ribs. His appreciation turned to concern. He wondered if Jack had been eating regularly before they met up. He would make sure he did from now on. Jack pulled the sweater off entirely, throwing it off the bed and shaking his even more tousled hair. He raised an eyebrow at Hiccup.

"What?" 

Hiccup cleared his throat. “So…. no chest hair,” he said to cover up his staring. “Are you sure you’re an adult?”

Jack glared and comically puffed his hairless chest like that would help any. “I am! But I can still technically call myself a teenager for several months still.”

"And you think you’ll suddenly grow chest hair when you turn twenty?"

Jack deflated a little at that. “It could happen.”

He picked up the other shirt with an embarrassed flush and pulled it on hastily. Hiccup hoped he wasn’t actually feeling self-conscious about that. He wondered if it would be weird to tell Jack he thought he was beautiful? Probably. Certainly. Very weird. He shoved more pizza in his mouth and looked awkwardly around.

"You don’t need to be hairy," he mumbled around a mouthful of food. Jack looked at him in surprise and Hiccup was rather certain that he had just made a fool out of himself. The white-haired boy laughed.

"It’s not like I don’t have any body hair anywhere," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Hiccup choked on his pizza. Jack held his pose for all of two seconds before coughing awkwardly.

"I’ll believe it when I see it," Hiccup said with a smirk.

They both laughed, cheeks a little red. Jack returned to his spot on the bed and they ate in comfortable silence for a while. Jack fiddled with the sweater he had taken off, poking his fingers through some holes on the sides, where the seam was unravelling, staring at them with a rather distressed look.

"I can mend that if you want," Hiccup said.

Jack looked at him with a startled gaze. “You can?”

"Sure. It’s easy."

Jack beamed at him. “Are you skilled at everything, or what?”

"It just sewing. It’s pretty basic."

"How did I survive so long without you?"

"With Santa’s help."

Jack laughed, that joy-filled little laugh that always made Hiccup’s lips curl up. They stared at each other for a long moment before Jack looked down again, but the smile didn’t leave his lips. "Thanks," he said.

"For the sweater?"

"For everything."

A warmth was growing in Hiccup’s chest and he recognized the tell-tale feeling of his insides melting. “It’s my pleasure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay.


	11. Breaking Point

Hiccup gripped the wheel and took a few slow calming breaths. He squinted at the empty country road ahead of him, hoping to see any branching road that would actually take them somewhere, but he could barely see a foot ahead of the car with the pouring rain. They didn’t even know where they were. He should have known better than to trust Jack with the map. As it was, they were no more likely to make it to that god-forsaken fair then they had been the day before.

On the passenger seat, Jack was fiddling with the map and looking outside nervously, biting his lip and shifting around in place, never quite looking at him. Hiccup breathed in and out, slowly, trying to calm himself. The more logical side of him knew it didn’t matter that they were lost. They had time. If not today, they could reach their destination tomorrow and it would make no difference. It wasn’t like the fair would be open with this storm.

But the more irrational side of him was just getting frustrated with the second day in a row of trying and failing to get to a small village in the middle of nowhere, and the rain, and the lack of visibility forcing him to wait for lightning flashes to get a brief look at the road ahead, and needed someone to blame.

"Look," Jack tried, "we can stop for the day the moment we find a town and figure out where we are. It’ll be easier once the storm is over. We can just get to the fair tomorrow."

"Oh,  _are_ we going to get to the fair tomorrow?” Hiccup asked, his hands gripping the wheel tighter to keep from gesturing wildly with every word. “Because so far, every day we’ve tried to get to your stupid fair has turned  _terrible._ ”

"You say that like it’s my fault! Do I control the weather, now?"

"For all I know you do!" Hiccup snapped, even though he knew he was being ridiculous. Then again, he really knew next to nothing about the strange white-haired man he had picked up. Jack didn’t exactly talk about himself much. Hiccup kept his eyes on the road, not wanting to look at his companion right now and see how he was taking this.

"What? Well, I’d like to remind you that it’s  _your_ crazy friend who tried to kill me yesterday.”

"Dagur  _isn’t_ my friend.”

"Whatever! You can’t be blaming this one on me!"

"I sure am blaming us being lost in the middle of nowhere during a storm on you."

"Oh yeah? I’d like to see  _you_ try to figure out where to turn when we can’t even see anything.”

"Because you did a much better job the other day, when there wasn’t a cloud to be seen anywhere."

"I just—"

The car lurched and interrupted Jack. At the low speed they were going, Hiccup had no problem keeping control of the vehicle, but he could tell something was wrong. Something had probably pierced one of the tires. He took another deep breath, failing to calm himself, and pulled off the road. They both sat still for several long seconds, the sound of the rain on the roof of the car and the distant crashes of thunder the only things breaking the silence. Finally, Hiccup exited the car and slammed his door back shut.

Thankfully, he hadn’t left without being ready to deal with a flat tire or ten, but trying to change a tire while kneeling in the mud under heavy rain was about as far from fun as he could get. His frustration was mounting, so when Jack’s feet shuffled in view, he was in no mood to deal with him.

"Do you, uh, need help with anything?" Jack asked tentatively.

"Haven’t you done  _enough_ already?”

Jack whirled around and left him work alone. Thunder crashed in the distance. Hiccup sighed. He knew he wasn’t being fair to his companion. All Jack had done was get them lost and what difference did that make, really? Wasn’t this all about the journey, anyway? And did he have any reasons to believe that the way would have been easier if they had been travelling in a different direction? He had no way of knowing and, more importantly, neither did Jack.

Hiccup ran both hand through his hair and tugged on the wet strands. His anger fading, he replayed their earlier conversation in his head and saw just how ridiculous he had been. He needed to change that tire, get back in the car and apologize to Jack. They would reach some town soon enough where they could wait out this storm and spend a nice, comfortable day inside and enjoy each other’s company. Wasn’t that a good thing?

By the time he was done, the rain wasn’t as bad, but he was still cold and shivering and eager to get inside. Hiccup wiped his hands on his mud-stained jeans and returned his tools to the trunk. Something seemed a bit off, but he was too tired to dwell on it. He wanted a hot shower and dry clothes, but he refused to let frustration get the better of him this time. Hiccup opened the car’s door and collapsed into his seat with a sigh.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds before turning to the passenger’s seat, ready to apologize. It was empty. Hiccup frowned. He looked at the back seat, just in case. Also empty. He reopened the door, stood and looked around for any signs of his companion. “Jack? We’re leaving,” he called. No answers. “Jack! I’m sorry I was such a jerk, please come out.”

He squinted through the rain at every tree and bushes, but no one walked out. Hiccup bit his lips. Was he going to have to wait here until Jack cooled down and decided to return? Was that his revenge for being snapped at for no reason? Hiccup couldn’t say he didn’t deserve it, but he’d rather Jack come back then stay out there in the rain, soaked and probably cold. 

The memory of returning the tools and the flat tire to the trunk still floated around his head and he froze when he realized what was bothering him about it. Something had been wrong with that picture. Something missing. He couldn’t recall it clearly enough to be completely sure, but the more he thought of it, the more his panic grew. He ran to the back of the car and looked inside again. His fears were confirmed. Jack’s backpack was missing.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. You’ve got to be kidding me. He didn’t really just leave over that, right? He didn’t just… walk out on me… after everything… over a single argument, right? We’re… we’re friends now."

  _"You’ve been travelling for a year. Do you ever plan on settling down?"_

_"Not really. I make a mess wherever I go."_

Hiccup took a few ragged breath as he realized how much he had messed up.

_"Haven’t you done enough already?"_

Hiccup slammed the trunk shut and rushed back to the driver’s seat. Jack couldn’t have gone all that far, and, supposing he hadn’t decided to go walk through the woods and was still following the road, Hiccup should be able to catch up to him. He couldn’t let Jack leave believing that he had done something wrong and that Hiccup was mad at him. And he really owed him an apology.

Hiccup sucked in a few panicked breaths and got back on the road, alone, his eyes desperately searching for a figure in a familiar blue hoodie. 


	12. Catching a Snowflake

Hiccup’s heart beat so fast he thought it was trying to escape his chest. He wanted to slam his foot on the accelerator, but the rain kept the visibility very bad and the dirt road slippery. Getting into an accident wasn’t going to help him find Jack. He didn’t want to die before having a chance to apologize. A small part of him was surprised that this was what bothered him most about potentially dying, but most of him was too scared he might not find his missing companion. That he wouldn’t get to tell him he didn’t mean it, that he wasn’t mad, that Jack hadn’t done anything wrong. 

 He didn’t know what had happened in the past to make Jack react this way. He had nothing but one vague comment and no explanation. Maybe if he had a better understanding of why Jack believed he made a mess wherever he went, he would have been more sensitive despite his frustrations. No. He was just making excuses for himself. It didn’t matter why Jack reacted the way he did; Hiccup had been in the wrong. But he still wanted to know. He wanted to understand.

_Where is he? I should have caught up to him by now._ Something to his right caught his attention. A branching path, with a sign Hiccup couldn’t quite read but that seemed to indicate the name of the town it led to. So close. If only they had reached it a bit earlier. But, he reminded himself, it wouldn’t have mattered if he had held his tongue, if he hadn’t lashed out at Jack. This was his mess, no matter how tempting it was to blame the road for being a bit too far.

Had Jack turned here to seek shelter from the rain in the nearest town? That had seemed like a no-brainer at first, with Jack being on foot, soaked and with no clue as to where he would find another town, and Hiccup had been about to turn when he realized why Jack might not have done that. If Hiccup hadn’t been trying to find him, he wouldn’t have hesitated a moment before turning here and finding a place to stay, where he could take a shower and relax until the weather improved. The town might only have one hotel.

The question was, what did Jack wanted most: to be dry and warm and not trudge outside in the rain while carrying a pack almost as heavy as him, or to avoid Hiccup? He wished he could believe it was the former. He got out of the car and examined the road for any sign of Jack’s passage. The rain had turned the dirt to mud. Hiccup’s own feet sank into it as he walked around the car.

The rain would erase old tracks, but Jack’s, if he had been here at all, would be recent enough to still be visible. His father had brought him hunting several times and taught him to look for tracks, but anyone could have spotted the deep, rain-filled footprints in the mud continuing past the branching path. It did take Hiccup a moment to understand that Jack had been running. That would explain why he hadn’t caught up yet. But he had been here not long ago. Hiccup hurriedly got back in the car.

The next few minutes were the most stressful in his recent memory. He squinted through the rain, trying to spot Jack, all the while trying to figure out exactly what he was going to say to him once he found him. Nothing seemed good enough. He would need to settle on passable. If Jack would even listen. If—there! 

All rational thoughts came to a stop when a lightning flash let him glimpse the figure ahead, with a large pack on its back. He almost slammed on the brakes. He shook his head, took a few calming breaths and drove on until he was level with Jack. The young man must have noticed him, but he didn’t slow down from his jog. He looked exhausted. Hiccup could probably have kept up at a quick walk. He rolled down the window.

"Jack?" No replies. Jack didn’t even look his way. He just kept running. Hiccup cleared his throat. "Jack, I just wanted to say, no, I  _needed_ to say—”

Jack veered off the road, jumped over the ditch and started running across the empty field, away from him. Hiccup cursed and braked, hard. The car skid some distance on the muddy road before coming to a stop. Hiccup got out, not willing to give up now. He didn’t trust himself to jump across, his prosthesis not really being well suited for this especially not with all of the mud, so he waded across instead, not caring that he was was up to his knees in muddy water. He scrambled out the other side and tried to catch up.

Even in their limited time together, Hiccup had seen enough from simply observing the way he moved, so light on his feet, to know that he could never expect to catch up to Jack in a fair race. This wasn’t a fair race. Jack was out of breath, drained and barely keeping his balance on the wet grass. Hiccup didn’t need to do much. He just kept pace long enough for him to slip and fall.

Jack had to shrug off his pack to do so much as push himself on his knees. Hiccup crouched in front of him and laid a hand on his arm to help him up. It was violently shrugged off. Blue eyes planted themselves in his, full of anger and pain. At least he was looking at him now.

"What do you  _want_?”

 Hiccup flinched from the harshness of Jack’s voice. “Sorry. I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

"And you expect everything to be just fine after you say that?"

"I don’t expect anything. I just needed to apologize. And to tell you I’m not mad at you." A bit of the heat faded from Jack’s eyes, replaced with doubt. They were both panting from their run—Jack more so than Hiccup—and the rain plastered their hair to their head. Jack shivered. Hiccup tentatively placed both hands on his companion’s arms. "And I wanted to bring you somewhere warm and dry. You can do whatever you want after that, but I’m not leaving you out there in the rain."

Jack’s eyes searched his. He didn’t try to shake himself free of Hiccup’s hands. Hiccup did his best to silently communicate his sincerity. In the long moment they spent staring into each other’s eyes, he noticed how close they were, how easy it would be to leaned forward and close the distance to Jack’s partly open lips.  _Don’t even think about that. It’s the worst thing you could possibly do._ Jack looked away first with a deep sigh. The tension left him and he just slumped there, making no move to go anywhere.

Even without a clear answer, Hiccup took it as a yes. He stood and pulled Jack to his feet at the same time. He didn’t resist. Hiccup picked the pack up from the wet grass and shrugged it on one shoulder, keeping his other arm wrapped around Jack. The trek back to the car was spent in awkward silence and seemed to last forever, but Hiccup was so relieved that he didn’t really mind. They almost tumbled into the ditch and Hiccup had to throw the pack on the roadside to pull himself up, letting go of Jack for the first time. His companion followed silently.

He opened the passenger door for Jack and the young man collapsed into the seat. Hiccup closed the door and his knees almost refused to continue supporting him. This mess wasn’t over, but at least he could hang on to Jack for a moment longer. And at least if they parted way, he would have told him what he needed to. He picked up the pack again and returned it to the trunk before getting in the car himself.

Once back behind the wheel, he had to take several deep breath to calm down before he could trust himself to drive. When he did, he brought the car around to go back the way they came. It wouldn’t be far to the path he had passed earlier. He threw a quick look at Jack. His companion sat dejectedly next to him, looking down at his knees. He hadn’t bothered taking off his wet shoes and socks, even though that was usually the first thing he did once he got in the car. Hiccup bit his lip. He had until they reached the hotel to convince Jack to stick with him, so he better start talking now.

"You know, I meant it when I said I’m not mad at you. I don’t care that we’re lost. I was never planning on going anywhere, anyway," he said. Jack didn’t react, didn’t even look up. Hiccup squeezed the wheel. They had reached the branching path. He turned and hoped he still had some time. "It’s been stressful, okay? With Dagur, and worrying about my dad, and this trip, even if it’s what I wanted, and… and other things. Look, I’m not trying to make excuses. I’m just saying… I wasn’t mad at  _you_. And I shouldn’t have lashed out at you. But I did, and I’m sorry.”

They reached the hotel before even entering the town proper. Hiccup wondered if he could pretend he hadn’t seen the bright neon sign and drive on. He looked at Jack again. His companion had been peering at him, but quickly looked away. He was still shivering, his hair dripping. Hiccup turned into the hotel’s parking lot. He parked the car near the entrance, opened his door but paused before getting out.

"I’m gonna check in. Do I ask for two rooms, or one?"

Jack looked up at him. He gave Hiccup a tiny smile that almost made his heart stop.

"I think one room will do."


	13. Some Time to Think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone is a little calmer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Hi. Sorry about the delay.

Hiccup was probably being ridiculous. He hovered right behind Jack, letting him walk in front even though he was the one with the keys to their room just so he could keep an eye on him. As if Jack was suddenly going to turn around and leave. As if standing in his way was the solution if he did. But it was comforting, and Jack didn’t seem bothered, so he continued.

He only shifted from his position when they reached their room, since Jack moved aside to let him unlock it. The pale man rubbed his arms, still wet and shivering, probably wanting nothing more than to take a warm shower and change into something dry. Hiccup slid the key in, twisted and pushed the door open a little, peeking in to check out the room. His eyes widened and he turned to Jack, clearing his throat in embarrassment.

“Er, I’m sorry. I forgot to say… we’ll have to head back to the front desk, to get a different room.”

Jack’s shoulders slumped and his knees bent, and for a moment Hiccup thought he was just going to sit there in the hallway rather than walk back to the entrance. He looked so miserable that Hiccup felt even worse for his mistake. “What’s wrong with this one?”

“I, uh… I forgot to ask for two beds,” he admitted. With the way he had been standing so close to Jack and barely ever tearing his eyes off him, he couldn’t really blame the clerk for assuming they only needed one.

Jack looked at him with pleading eyes. “Can’t we just take this one?”

“Are you… are you sure?”

“We slept just fine last time we shared a bed,” Jack said with a small smile. He rubbed his arms again. A small puddle was starting to form under his feet.

“Yeah, you’re right. Okay. If you don’t mind it, I’m fine with it too. More than fine. I mean, it doesn’t bother me at all. Just worried it might bother you. But it doesn’t so it’s… fine. Let’s do that." 

His rambling would probably have been embarrassing had Jack still been listening to him, but the other had entered the room already and was dragging his pack behind him in the direction of the bathroom. Hiccup sighed and followed. Jack stopped at the bathroom’s door and turned back to him, hesitating.

"Is it okay with you if I go first?”

“Oh, yeah, go ahead.”

Jack sent him a grateful smile and closed the door behind him. Hiccup found himself standing in the middle of the room, wet and dripping slightly, staring at the door. It was the first time he was letting Jack out of his sight since the earlier incident. He forced himself to take a deep breath.  _Come on Hiccup, calm down. He’s not going to escape through a window while you're not looking. He chose to share a room with you instead of getting his own. He won’t leave now. Maybe we could have taken a shower together._

Hiccup shook himself before his thoughts tried to go down a path he’d rather avoid right now. Maybe he should change while he waited. No use in staying wet. Digging through his pack, undressing and pulling on something comfortable kept him busy for a while, but soon he was sitting on the edge of their one bed, listening to the running water. He forced himself took take in a slow breath to calm his erratic heart.

  
_What’s wrong with me? Am I so lovesick that I can’t stand the thought of him being out of my sight? I’ve known Jack for only a few days and I’m acting like losing him would be so devastating that I couldn’t go on without him. Pull yourself together, Hiccup. You’ve had worse luck than that in love before._

_  
_ He sighed and let himself fall backward on the bed. His feelings for Jack weren’t really the issue here and he knew it. He just didn’t want to admit it. As sad as he would be if Jack decided to go his own way tomorrow, breaking their friendship and losing whatever probably nonexistent chance he had at turning it into something else was not the real reason why he so dreaded the idea of Jack leaving him. 

  
He could admit it to himself, at least. He was afraid of continuing alone. He probably would have turned around and gone back home by now without Jack. The endless roads felt safe and much less scary with him. It had been a dream, but on his own, driving all day and sleeping in cheap hotels at night, there would be little to distract him from his dwindling resources and his lack of a plan for when they ran dry. To distract him from the echoing voices telling him that he couldn’t do this. That he couldn’t do anything at all. Jack had kept his doubts at bay, but now they were coming back.

With Jack, at least, he was with someone used to this. He didn’t need to be afraid. Jack had done this before. He had been a guide in this journey, even if he couldn’t be trusted with the map. And Hiccup was terrified of losing him and having to deal with this on his own. What would he do if Jack refused to continue with him? Would he go back home? Continue alone, with nothing but his fear and doubts to keep him company? Stay here? This was as good a place as any to stop. He could start a new life here. Work in some coffee shop or grocery store until he felt like going back home. Or he could stay forever.

His mind had wandered to trying to imagine his future life here, with a faceless spouse, three children, a lawn, a white picket fence and some sort of boring office job, when the bathroom door opened and Jack walked out wearing some orange jogging pants and an oversized blue T-shirt. It didn’t appear that leaving the room was in his plans for the nearby future. That was good.

“The shower’s free.”

Hiccup nodded and pushed himself up. Showering sounded wonderful right now.

* * *

 

The shower felt good. He let the hot water clear away the anxious thoughts cluttering his mind and let himself simply enjoy its relaxing effect, leaning back against the wall to stay balanced on one foot. He felt considerable calmer by the time he turned off the water, pulled his prosthesis back on, got out and dressed himself. He left the bathroom with his head held higher than when he entered.

He found Jack sitting on the bed, leaning back against the headboard, his legs brought up against his chest, his shoulder slumped, staring at his toes. Everything about his body language was withdrawn and defeated. Quite the opposite of his usual open and cheerful self. Hiccup sat on the edge of the bed and waited for him to look up. He didn’t.

“Do you want to talk?”

“About what?”

Hiccup lifted his legs up on the mattress and twisted around to settle down next to Jack. “Anything.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Wh-what? I’m the one who need to apologize, I—”

“I’m sorry for overreacting. I shouldn’t have run off like that. It was stupid.”

“It was,” Hiccup agreed. Jack’s head shot up and whirled toward him, his eyes widening before narrowing in a defensive expression. Hiccup didn’t give him time to reply. “But I still shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

Jack relaxed at that. He returned his attention to his toes. “You’re right. You shouldn’t have.”

“Good. Now that we’re clear on that, are you still mad at me?”

Jack shrugged, but didn’t look up. “No. I’m not mad at you. I don’t think I was ever mad at you.”

“Then why did you run?” Hiccup asked gently, hoping Jack would open up to him. The younger man drew his knees closer, hunched his back and lowered his head. Hiccup doubted he was going to get anything out of him. Maybe now wasn’t the best of time.

“I… didn’t really think it through. I’m just so used to letting others down…” Jack trailed off, swallowed hard and turned his head away. Hiccup didn’t insist. It was already been more than he had expected.

“I promise I won’t snap at you again.”

“You shouldn’t promise that.”

“Why not?”

Jack looked back at him, his eyes shining brighter than usual, and smiled slightly. “Because I can be insufferable.”

“I think I can deal with that.”

Jack let out a slightly choked little chuckle and turned away, letting himself fall on his side on the bed, his back to Hiccup. “What time is it?”

“Almost three.”

“I think I’ll take a nap. I’m tired. All that running and all…”

Jack slipped under the covers and pulled them over his head. Hiccup pretended he didn’t notice his shoulders shaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might remember that some chapters ago, I said that I had 13 chapters written for this. I wasn't lying. This was written over a year ago and I just didn't post it. The reason for that is that since then I've decided to discontinue this story and I was procrastinating on announcing it. I wasn't planning on taking this long, I just wanted to wait to be out of the bad place I was mentally a year ago, but since then laziness took over. Also because I kinda hate this story by now.
> 
> tl;dr: sorry this chapter is a year late and also this is discontinued


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